鳴
chirp · cry · bark · sound · ring · echo · honk
Details
Stroke Order
Cultural Context
Etymology
Composed of mouth and bird. Bird singing with mouth.
Symbolism
Chirp, ring, scream. Represents crying.
Related Culture & Scenes
- — Arrival of spring
Component Breakdown
mouth + bird
Words & Expressions
Words written with 鳴
Four-Character Compounds
百家争鳴
ひゃっかそうめい
let a hundred schools of thought contend
鶏鳴狗盗
けいめいくとう
person who resorts to petty tricks; person of small caliber who is only capable of petty tricks
大山鳴動
たいざんめいどう
big fuss over nothing; much cry and little wool; much ado about nothing
蛙鳴蝉噪
あめいせんそう
annoying noise; fruitless argument; useless controversy
Poetry
奥山に もみぢ踏み分け 鳴く鹿の 声聞く時ぞ 秋は悲しき
Deep in the hills a stag treads through fallen maple leaves and cries. Hearing it, autumn is saddest of all.
淡路島 かよふ千鳥の 鳴く声に 幾夜ねざめぬ 須磨の関守
How many nights has the guard at Suma barrier woken to the cries of plovers crossing from Awaji Island?
ほととぎす 鳴きつる方を ながむれば ただありあけの 月ぞ残れる
I looked toward where the cuckoo had called, and there was nothing but the dawn moon, still hanging.
世の中よ 道こそなけれ 思ひ入る 山の奥にも 鹿ぞ鳴くなる
There is no road out of this world. Even deep in the mountains where I fled, a stag is crying.
きりぎりす 鳴くや霜夜の さむしろに 衣かたしき ひとりかも寝む
Crickets crying on a frosty night, on a cold thin mat — must I spread one sleeve and sleep alone?
Anime & Manga
BLEACH 獄頤鳴鳴篇
Bleach: Special One-Shot
A well-known work with 鳴 in its Japanese title.
Other kanji with the same meaning
Frequently Asked Questions
What does 鳴 mean in Japanese?
鳴 means chirp, cry, bark, sound, ring, echo, honk.
How do you read 鳴?
On'yomi: メイ (MEI). Kun'yomi: な.く、な.る、な.らす (naku, naru, narasu).
How many strokes does 鳴 have?
鳴 has 14 strokes. Its radical is 鳥 (bird).
Is 鳴 a good kanji for a tattoo?
鳴 is one of the kanji most often chosen for tattoos. It means chirp, cry, bark, sound, ring, echo, honk. Read the full meaning and cultural background on this page first — some popular choices are deliberately dark.